Just In: Elena Rybakina Gives a Cautious Health Update After US Open First-Round Victory, Leaving Tennis Fans Deeply Concerned About What Comes Next
Elena Rybakina delivered a somewhat mysterious answer when asked about her health following her opening US Open win, suggesting that she was simply taking things day by day.
Just 10 days ago in Cincinnati, the world No. 2 injured her left leg during her quarterfinal against Iga Swiatek and was forced to retire after only four games.
A couple of days before the US Open, Rybakina said she was recovering well but also admitted that she still wasn’t practicing much.
Then, during her pre-tournament press conference in New York, the reigning Australian Open champion confirmed that she would compete at Flushing Meadows.
And on Tuesday, Rybakina successfully returned to action by beating American wildcard Thea Frodin 6-3 6-2 in the first round.
Rybakina: We’ll see day by day
After getting through her opener without any major issues, the two-time Grand Slam champion made it clear that she still wasn’t looking too far ahead when it came to her physical condition.
“We’ll see day by day. I’m glad I played the match, I won the match. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.. Because I had to take quite a break. I wasn’t playing or doing much physically. For me now a step at a time. The most important is to recover and listen to the body. For now it’s been okay,” Rybakina said after her opening win in New York.
Rybakina awaits her next opponent and keeps her No. 1 hopes alive
In the US Open second round, Rybakina will face the winner of the match between Darja Vidmanova and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
By beating Frodin, the world No. 2 also kept alive her strong chances of reaching the No. 1 ranking at Flushing Meadows.
Rybakina entered the tournament only 434 points behind Aryna Sabalenka, while also defending far fewer points than the Belarusian. If the Kazakh reaches the semifinal, she is guaranteed to become world No. 1 regardless of Sabalenka’s result.
Meanwhile, Sabalenka can only remain No. 1 by defending her US Open title and also hoping that Rybakina loses before the semifinal.
